The polling requirements policy for the RNC debates could spell trouble for many candidates hoping to be on the debate stage next month. According to this new report, their polling requirements are quite stringent and could exclude most of the presidential field.

Here’s more from Politico:

Even if you’re the longest of long-shot presidential candidates, it’s pretty easy to register at 1 percent in a poll. In a survey of, say, 800 voters, all you need is 4 to say they’ll vote for you to hit that mark. The doctrine that we must round up remains a huge political gift.

But actually meeting the Republican National Committee’s polling requirements — which holds that a candidate must earn 1 percent in three polls to participate in the party’s first primary debate next month — might be a lot harder than it looked at first blush.

That’s because the RNC’s criteria exclude virtually all of the public surveys conducted these days, meaning there may not be many opportunities for the lower-polling candidates to even hit that 1 percent.

According to the RNC’s guidelines, in order to count for debate qualifying, polls have to survey at least 800 “likely” primary voters or caucus-goers. That criteria aren’t just strict — they’re unrealistic.

As the 51-day qualifying period begins on Saturday, a review of FiveThirtyEight’s database of GOP primary polling nationally and in the four early “carve out” states shows that only two polls out of 70 conducted in the previous 51 days would meet those requirements.

While it’s a good bet that there will be at least three qualifying polls conducted between now and the Aug. 21 deadline, the RNC’s criteria could spell trouble for candidates outside of the five polling leaders: former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

With only a handful of polls, candidates like former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson who are only at 1 percent in about half of the prior surveys may not be able to get the three polls they need. And even candidates who are typically at or above 1 percent — like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie or Vivek Ramaswamy — could be in danger of missing out if they register an inopportune goose egg.

On one hand I would rather have a smaller debate stage for a better Republican debate. But if you happen to support a candidate who doesn’t meet these strict requirements, it’s a hard pill to swallow to your candidate to be forced to miss a debate like this.